Another Link in the Chain
by 62SG
Summary: A mysterious saiyan crash lands on Earth, home of the proud Prince Vegeta.  Vegeta desperately wants to meet this saiyan, claiming he is the greatest warrior Planet Vegeta had ever seen.  There's just one problem: The saiyan is dead.Please R & R
1. The Arrival

Deep in the dark depths of space, an ancient ship soared onward, with no notice as to where it was traveling. Through the cracked windshield a still face was visible. It rested with its chin in its chest. The eyes were frozen shut and showed no signs of life. Deep wounds, brought on by frostbite, crossed the face with random patterns. As the pod continued through the galaxy, the frozen figure remained still, unaware of where it was going. It sped through the rings of Saturn, shattering them, where they lie broken for an instant, then are drawn back together by the gravitational force. The small vessel made its way past Mars, and then curved around the Earth in a graceful arc.

As it entered the atmosphere of Planet Earth, shards of ice melted away in the growing friction. It sped on towards the surface, and crashed at the base of a mountain range, clearing all life, and blasting away the rock to form a perfect crater. Water from a nearby river began to slowly carve a stream as it leaked through the broken rock and into the pit.

Three years after the dramatic destruction of the horrific Majin Buu, life on Earth lived in happiness and serenity. In the Western City, Vegeta, the prince of the Saiyan Race, trained in a specially built chamber. The gravity inside the room was an astounding six-hundred times stronger than the Earth's own. As he jogged around the room, he pondered on recent years. He and Kakarotto had laid their fifteen-year rivalry to rest, and he himself admitted that Kakarotto is superior to him. Vegeta stopped running and began punching as fast and often as he could. During that crucial fight with Majin Buu, he was cast helplessly aside and rescued by that buffoon, Mr. Satan. The shame had yet to fade. He started launching fast kicks, each one slicing the air with a deafening screech. Had the fool's daughter not been a friend of the first son of Kakarotto, he surely would have attacked the man without a trace of hesitation. _Stop that,_ thought the Prince, _you have a family too. You shouldn't hurt the innocent._ He continued to attack imaginary foes for nearly three hours. When he finished his morning routine and walked over to his bench, he found it straining under the weight of his towel.

Mopping sweat off his brow, he checked the time on the clock on the wall. The hour and minute hands were bending towards the ground. Vegeta smirked and carefully stretched palm outwards, targeting it carefully it. He fired a small ki blast that destroyed the clock with a loud, crash. Smiling to himself, he removed his weighted vest and dropped it on the bench as he left the room. As he closed the door, he heard the bench splinter and collapse.

Vegeta strode the hallways, wondering if he woke up the household. As he entered the kitchen, he glanced at the clock. It was nine AM. He looked around the room and saw his goal: the fridge. When he approached it, he saw Bulma had taped a note to it.

Dear Vegeta,  
Trunks and I have gone to spend the weekend at Goku's house. There's coffee for you. I'll be back on Monday. Love, Bulma.

Vegeta quickly read the note and looked at the coffee pot. He poured himself a mug and sipped it carefully. He flinched at the taste and crushed the mug in his hand. He had been in terrible battles and been beaten to death, yet he would never find the attraction in coffee.

_Well, I might as well pay Kakarotto a visit,_ thought the prince. It had been a year since they had last met, and that meeting was brief and awkward.

He changed into a t-shirt and a pair of jeans and left the house, not bothering to lock the doors. If anybody broke into his house, he would take their heads. He leapt up and flew off into the bright blue sky. As he jetted towards Goku's mountain home, he saw something peculiar streaking through the clouds. It looked like a meteor. He watched it as it sped down towards the Earth, and sawdust fly into the air as it landed. Clamped in curiosity's grasp, he changed course for where it had landed. He erupted in a blast of ki and sped off for it.

Vegeta found it in a deep crater, freshly gorged into the side of a snowy mountain. It had crashed through the glacier and a trickle of water was flowing smoothly down the scalloped slope. He dropped down to it, ankle deep in the icy water and grasped it firmly, his arms wrapped almost halfway around it's scarred surface. He lifted it easily and held it above his head. He rose and jetted off towards Goku's house.

Fifteen minutes later, Vegeta arrived at Goku's house. From the air, he could see Goku, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Chi-Chi, and Bulma. They were sitting at a picnic table in the backyard, enjoying what seemed to be a nice lunch. Goku was the first to notice him. He looked up and saw Vegeta holding a saiyan ship.

"Vegeta! Where'd you get that?

"It came from space, idiot" replied the cold prince.

"Well, come down and open it!"

Vegeta dropped softly to the ground and placed the ship in front of him. It was then when he noticed the faded emblem on the door. It was a red moon, the ink wearing away leaving it scarred.

"It's a saiyan... A Saiyan Elite…" he whispered, touching the moon lightly with his palm. He wormed his fingers inside the small crease and tugged gently. Steam hissed as the cold air inside met the warm climate. Vegeta slowly pulled down the door, making the little ice that remained crack and break off. He looked inside the tiny ship. There was a frozen body inside, muscles bulging over its tall frame. It was wearing incredibly damaged armour, which was torn badly in most places. Vegeta realized instantly that it was dead. He grabbed the corpse by the arm and tugged. The ice around it cracked and the body flopped forward, out of the ship and onto the door. Vegeta lifted the stranger's head by grasping its hair, and saw its face for the first time. He stepped back, bumping into Goku, who was confused by Vegeta's sudden absence of poise and grace.

"It's Sedu!"


	2. The Awakening

Vegeta couldn't believe it. Lying dead before him was Sedu, possibly the greatest Saiyan Warrior to have ever lived. He had been lost in space for many years, before Vegeta was born. The Prince stared at the face, which he had seen many times in books or on a computer screen. The tall, black, spiky hair resembled Vegeta's, aside from three or four small tufts that formed a fringe on the widow's peak. The face was long and sharp, scarred greatly by frostbite. He was stunned by his discovery, but he quickly realized what had to be done.

"Kakarotto! Get me the dragon balls!" he shouted.

"What?" replied a confused Goku.

"Give them to me! "A flicker of concern crossed his face. "You have them right?"

"Yeah, but," Goku scratched his head nervously. "I was kinda saving them for an emergency. What do you need them for?"

"Are you dense? I want to resurrect this man."

"Well, we do have one wish left over. I don't really see any harm. Hang on a minute."

Goku ran into the house and returned seconds later with a sack, which was curiously glowing. He dumped the contents onto the lawn where the magical Dragon Balls glowed in each others presence. Vegeta pointed a menacing finger at the pulsating orbs.

"Shenlong, appear to me and grant my wish!" he barked. The sky grew dark and the balls flashed gold and a snake of lightning erupted from them. It twisted and turned, winding into overwhelming loops. The glowing subsided, and Shenlong appeared.

"Mortals who have summoned me, I can grant you one wish," roared the dragon's booming voice.

"Dragon, I demand you return this saiyan to life!" shouted Vegeta.

"It will be done," grumbled the dragon. His eyes flashed red, which was cast over the mountains creating the illusion of dusk.

"Your wish has been granted. Farewell..." The dragon balls rose into the air and shot of across the sky and out of sight. Sunlight flowed across the planet once more.

Vegeta faced the man whose live he had given. He stirred, quivered, and slowly pushed himself to his feet. He stood proudly and with an air of pride identical to Vegeta's. However, this saiyan was much taller than the prince, and towered over everyone present. Vegeta estimated his height to be near seven feet tall. The saiyan looked around quietly, but exhaustion spread over his face. He closed his eyes, and his muscles shrank. He fell to the ground, and as he did so he became shorter. He lay sprawled across the grass, and wasn't moving.

"Kakarotto! What is this? Tell me!"

"Um, I don't know what happened, actually," replied Goku casually.

"We'll take him back to Capsule Corp." announced Bulma. "I'll see if I can figure out what's wrong with him."

At Capsule Corp. Bulma was examining the Saiyan. His heart was extremely damaged, and his muscle tissue was partially decomposed. His lungs were torn and his brain was scarred and wounded.

When she told Vegeta this, he passed it off easily.

"Kakarotto, get me some senzu beans, now!" Vegeta screamed. "They should heal him and bring him back full."

"I wouldn't do that," said Bulma. "The shock of the healing could kill him again. He only exists right now because of life support."

"Well, what about the little green freak?" A tick was going in Vegeta's cheek by now.

"Dende? Same story. This saiyan, Sedu as you call him, needs to heal slowly."

"How long will that take?"

"Judging from the damage I have found, it would take a year."

"What?"

"Almost his entire body has to regenerate. He's half-rotten. And we can't heal him too fast or else he'll die!"

"Fine. I will wait one year." Nobody could even begin to wonder how badly Vegeta wanted to meet this Saiyan, to speak with him.

Over the next months, Vegeta waited patiently for the body to recover. It had been placed in a special chamber specially designed to heal it slowly. The capsule was a glass tube so Bulma could examine him and check on his progress. Oxygen was fed into a mask to let him breath while he recuperated. The capsule was in Bulma's lab, so she could keep an eye on him while she worked. She herself was amazed by the similarities between him and Vegeta. She wondered if they were related. She hoped not. One Vegeta was bad enough.

Finally, after one long year, the mysterious Saiyan was ready to be released. Vegeta made Bulma build the stranger an exact replica of his armour, black with white trim and yellow buckles, along with a black under suit. Vegeta himself had demanded his own armour, because it was Saiyan tradition to greet a long lost ally prepared for battle. He demanded Goku, Gohan, Goten and Trunks to do the same. Goku and Gohan refused and chose to wear their regular fighting gis, but Gohan gave Goten his old uniform from Namek and Trunks wore a duplicate of Vegeta's amour. Vegeta burned with pride when he looked at his son.

"At last, the moment of truth!" declared Bulma. "Lets countdown! Ten... Nine... Eight..." Vegeta couldn't stand it.

"Just press the damn button!"

"Well, if you want to be mean. Fifty... Forty-Nine... Forty Eight..."

"Do it woman!"

"Oh fine," muttered Bulma. She walked over to the console and pressed a button. The Saiyans eyes opened. He looked down at himself, examining his hands. He looked out of the tube and saw the warped faces of Vegeta, Trunks, Goten, Gohan and Goku. He furrowed his brow and removed the oxygen mask. He then walked straight through the tube. Vegeta was the first to greet him.

"Hello, fellow warrior," he said proudly. The saiyan looked around calmly.

"I need clothes," he spoke in a gruff voice.

"Woman! Get him his clothes!"

"Vegeta! They're right behind you," replied Bulma.

"I'll do it," interrupted Sedu.

He took his clothes from Bulma and quickly dressed. He was impressed. The clothes fit quite well. He looked around the room, trying to gauge their powers. The one named Vegeta was extremely powerful, as were two others. Both were dressed in loose fitting clothes instead of armour. One with very angular and spiky hair was wearing a blue top with orange bottoms, tied with a white belt. The other had orange top and bottoms, with a blue sash wrapped tightly around his waist and a blue undershirt. That one had a very powerful, but calm power inside him, while the other had a more active power. They both had saiyan blood. The two youngsters were wearing simple saiyan armour. Sedu was shocked to sense the saiyan spirit in both of them. _They must have conquered this planet_, thought the saiyan. He looked at Bulma. She saw him staring. She twirled her hair and smiled. Sedu smiled back.

He twisted his whole body and raised an extended arm. He paid no attention to the shocked stares of the others. A small orb shredded the air as it whipped towards Bulma. Instantly, a flame of ki erupted around Vegeta as he shot towards Bulma. With on quick smack, the orb flew off course and through the wall, reducing it to shambles of concrete and metal.

"How dare you!" roared the Prince. "Who do you think you are attacking my wife?" The Saiyan sneered.

"I am Sedu. I was helping you with your assignment. You were obviously sent here to eliminate this species, but..." he looked at Trunks. "It seems you have instead chosen to live as one of these beings."

Vegeta was a little put off by these observations. Nevertheless, he regained his composure quickly.

"I know who you are. I know the extent at which you went to find the Super Saiyan, and the supposed Lost Power."

Vegeta took a step away from Sedu and stood straight. He smiled and a rush of golden ki overtook him, tossing some papers and other small junk into the wind. The aura quickly diminished to nothing, leaving Vegeta as a Super Saiyan.

"Well, you have found me. I am the Super Saiyan." Vegeta paused, expecting shock to cross Sedu's face. A grin grew instead.

This is the power of the Super Saiyan? Pathetic," Sedu barked. "I would have expected more from you, since you are royalty. Instead, I am thoroughly disappointed."

He closed his eyes and took a moment to think. Vegeta was raging from this ignorance, and was ready to fight. Sedu continued to ignore him, just to enrage him further.

Sedu turned away from a fuming Vegeta. He seemed oblivious to both Vegeta's rising frustration and the golden ki swirling around his ankles. Instead, he strode over to Son Goku, who, with his son Gohan, silently watched the beings introduction to Vegeta. These two saiyans unnerved him a little, but he scoffed his instincts.

"So, I take it you are a full-blooded saiyan warrior?"

"I guess I am. I'm Goku."

"I sense a great power in you, but even more in this young man standing beside you." He looked at Gohan, who was shocked by this diagnosis.

"Wow, Gohan's still stronger than me?" marvelled Goku.

"Yes. He power comes from his heart and soul. Excellent qualities for a Saiyan warrior. In fact, all of you out class the strongest Saiyans I met on Vegeta."

"Really? Before its destruction?" asked Gohan. He still didn't trust Sedu, who reeled at the news.

"Planet Vegeta was destroyed?" He turned to Vegeta, who was now outputting a fairly active aura. "You! Tell me when this happened! Now!"

"Don't speak to me like that! I am the prince of Saiyans!"

"Well, prince. Prepare to see my full power!"

Sedu prepared himself. He planted his feet wide on the ground. He arched his back and screamed. A slow trickle of blue ki grew around him. Seconds later, it burst into a full bonfire of energy. His hair flew wildly as more energy burst to the heavens. Veins pumped up all over his body. After a few moments, he lowered his power. His hair fell and calmed. His muscles shrank. A puzzled look appeared on his stony face.

"Ha!" balked the prince. "Is that all the power you've got?"

"This isn't right. I should have much more power than this." He thought for a moment. "I must have been out for some time."

He walked to Bulma, who seemed tenser in his presence.

"Where is the ship I arrived in?" he asked in a rather harsh demeanour.

Bulma looked a little put off, but she pointed him towards the big door at the other end of the room. Sedu walked calmly towards it, raised his hand and blasted the door to pieces. He strolled inside and saw his ship. He grabbed it and carried it into the workshop. Sedu laid it down on a table, pulled the door open, pressed a few buttons on the dash and a screen came to life. He read the data quickly. As he read, his eyes opened wider with shock. After a few minutes of calm reading, he closed the door to the ship and turned away from the group.

_I can't believe it, Vegeta has been gone for forty years,_ he thought, _destroyed by the tyrant, Freeza. The last log entry dates back almost fifteen years, with the announcement of his return to power. But I can't remember a thing from the past fifty years. What happened?_

"Vegeta, do you know where I have been for the past fifty years?" He asked in an aggressive manner.

Vegeta was pleased to see Sedu puzzled by the simplicity of the answer.

"That is simple: You have been dead!" shouted the prince triumphantly.

"What? That's not possible!"

"Believe it. I revived you with the dragon balls, for the chance to learn more of the saiyan race, since many records of our history are scarce, and I expect b y now to be completely destroyed."

"Dragon balls? What are... wait, I remember hearing about them on my travels. When I was on Namek..."

"You were on Namek?" asked Vegeta.

"Of course. I traveled to many planets. Are you telling me you have dragon balls here?

"Our Kami is a Namekian. He was able to forge us our own dragon balls."

"That's odd, I could have sworn I... unless he was sent away before hand! And that other one. He survived too!" The saiyan ground his teeth.

"Enough! What do you want?" demanded Vegeta.

"Simple. I want a wish."


	3. The Wishes

Goku, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Vegeta and Bulma all stared at Sedu.

"You want what?" asked Goku.

"A wish. A wish for my power to return to me," replied Sedu.

"I don't know about this. We don't know you that well, "said Goku.

"Shut up Kakarotto! Let him have his power," barked Vegeta. "Then we can fight."

He stared hungrily at Sedu, who simply smiled. Goku and Gohan glared at Vegeta, who was still staring at Sedu.

"You may use the dragon balls. But only if we can battle afterwards," said Vegeta sternly.

"I suppose we could fight," replied Sedu. "Sure, it could be done."

"Woman!" shouted Vegeta. "Get the dragon balls!"

Bulma fingered him and stormed off to retrieve the orbs. Goku said nothing but he continued to glare at Vegeta, who wasn't paying attention to anything except Sedu. He simply stood and waited, arms crossed. A curious smiled was plastered over his face, though Vegeta assumed it was just because he was going to get his wish. Goku wasn't so sure though.

_There's something not quite right about him,_ thought Goku, _but I can't sense what it is._

After a moment or two, Bulma returned with a bag. Inside were the dragon balls.

"I think we'd better do this outside," she suggested. "Come on, let's go."

She headed out of the room, Sedu close behind her, followed by Vegeta and Trunks, who were walking side-by-side. The Son family followed closely. When they reached the expansive lawn, Bulma poured the dragon balls out on the lawn. They glowed and pulsated slowly, generating a soft hum. Sedu stared at them greedily.

"Well," asked Bulma tentatively. "Are you going to summon Shenlong or what?"

Sedu glanced at her and looked at the dragon balls.

"Dragon Balls!" he shouted. "Bring forth Shenlong to grant my wish!"

The sky darkened instantly. People on the streets quickly turned their sights from the dragon balls to the heavens, obviously confused. Sedu showed no sign of shock, even as a great streak of lightning was shot from the dragon balls towards the sky. It twisted and turned and Shenlong appeared once more, as long and vast as ever. He looked down on Sedu.

"You, mortal," he spoke in his booming growl. "I have been summoned to grant three wishes. What is your request?"_  
_  
_Three wishes?__I only need two,_ thought Sedu wildly. _I can't let them grant the third wish._

"Mighty dragon! My first wish is power! Bring me to my highest peak, and take me further than ever before!" cried the saiyan.

The dragon's eyes glowed red, spreading an eerie light over the Western City. Above them, a gap in the clouds appeared and a shaft of golden light shone down on Sedu, who was frozen with anticipation. His face split into a huge grin as every vein on his body pumped the new ki deep into his spirit. Large blue flames engulfed him, causing a sharp rise in his strength. The ground split and rose in chunks around him. All the lights in the city flickered and vanished. Even the great Shenlong was disturbed, twisting out of control. The ki sent waves upon waves of energy at Vegeta, Goku and Gohan, overloading their limitations. They cupped their hands over their ears, trying to block out the power signal. Finally, after a minute of this sensation, the light dimmed and the pain stopped. The only light now was coming from Shenlong and the new Sedu. He had a confident smirk across his face, along with an incredible blue aura, which was occasionally crossed with sharp blue bolts of lightening.

"Your wish has been granted," boomed the Dragon God. "Now state your second wish."

Goku walked up to the dragon. Sedu sent him a piercing scowl, which was ignored.

"Hey Shenlong?" said Goku as if the dragon were his life long friend. "We don't need any more-" He was cut off by a shock wave emitted by Sedu.

"Don't interrupt me, Kakarotto, or it will be your last move!" shrieked Sedu. "Dragon! I wish for an army of saiyan elites, who will obey any of my commands!" All of the heroes stared at Sedu.

"I knew you weren't any good!" shouted Goku.

"Can you grant this wish?" asked Sedu, unfazed by Goku's remark.

"It's a simple task." The dragon's eyes glowed again, spreading another red shade over the horizon. A few seconds passed, and slowly but surely many "pops" and "zips" were heard as an entire army began appearing in the sky. After several minutes, they all seemed to arrive and Shenlong spoke once more.

"Your wish has been granted. Now utter your final wish."

"Your death!" shouted Sedu. He launched a jet of ki at Shenlong. It exploded immediately and the damage emanated in a gigantic wave, decimating the Dragon. The sky lightened, revealing the stone dragon balls rolling slightly on the ground.

"Now," said Sedu as he turned to the Z Senshi. "Who's first?"


	4. The Transformation

At the battle, Vegeta was dumbstruck by Sedu's power. Last time he had encountered this sort of transformation, he had lost his wits completely. He prepared himself to not do the same.

"Now, are you prepared to fight and die by my hands?" asked Sedu.

Goku walked towards Sedu, who was a whole three feet taller than him.

"Once I have defeated you I will be sure to take pleasure in murdering every living thing on this world. I will do it very slowly, to savour their pain," bragged the giant. He threw back his head and laughed a sharp, booming sound that echoed into the sky.

Goku was overtaken with rage. He dashed at Sedu, initiating a barrage of blows from both sides. Lightning arced across the sky as the intensity of the battle grew to destructive levels. Vegeta stood watching, until he too gathered his ki and courage, and entered the battle. Vegeta and Goku attacked Sedu simultaneously, until Sedu focused his energy into his massive fist. He swung his fist, which connected with the back of Vegeta's skull, knocking him to the ground. Sedu stomped once on his back, and then kicked him across the lawn and into the city.

There was a great swell of power and a huge explosion of ki and Vegeta pulled himself to maximum strength. The sun was blocked out by the rising dust and debris, and the only illumination came from the golden light of Vegeta's strength.

He stepped forward, landing a booming blow in Sedu's stomach and kicked his legs, an attempt to break his stance and reduce the power of his kicks. Goku attacked the head and screamed advice to Vegeta.

"Vegeta! Don't attack his legs; he's only attacking with his arms!" Vegeta acknowledged this information and began pummelling Sedu's head with ki. Rapid bursts flew from his palms and exploded against Sedu's head.

"Kakarotto! Stay away from him, attack only with blasts. Don't go inside and try to beat him down! Too dangerous!" called Vegeta to Goku. Goku flew back a few metres and charged a Kamehameha Wave. The blue energy pulsed in his cupped palms. As he screamed the final syllable he threw his arms forward, forcing the energy onto Sedu's head. As the energy washed over his head, he was struck in his stomach by a bolt of ki shot by Vegeta. The Prince has stunned when neither the Kamehameha nor the blast to the stomach had any effect other than cracking his chest plate.

Sedu side-stepped, his hard elbow crashing into Goku's face. The hero collapsed, struggling to remain conscious. Sedu then charged two green balls of energy in his hands, and then flattened them into spinning disks. He pulled his arms back and flung them forward, slicing two thin tracks into the ground. Vegeta leapt to dodge them, but even that simple movement left him slightly off balance. Sedu hit him with blast to the stomach, which doubled him over and onto his knees. Vegeta felt the wide palm press onto the back of his head, and could sense the growing concentration of energy just waiting to erupt. Sedu stomped Vegeta's back then fired. The attack slammed Vegeta's face into the earth and pushed him along the ground, stopping many metres away, leaving the injured Goku alone to fight this monster.

"I guess I'll have to use my full strength on you," panted Goku.

"What?" A look of satisfaction formed over Sedu's scowl.

Goku grinned, pleased that he had another chance to use his ultimate form in a battle.

"I have managed to find another stage of Super Saiyan, one that is exponentially stronger than the last. It is only attained through training too strenuous for the body to handle," declared Goku. Sedu grinned at this news, which didn't shock him so much. This warrior gave the impression of being much cleverer than he seemed.

Goku stood calmly, organizing the many particles of ki into the correct alignment, which was needed to ascend. He focused his power, and began to raise his ki as high as it could go. It came slowly at first, but Sedu could sense more on the horizon.

Goku planted his feet far apart, and was overtaken by the rush of ki he was pulling from within himself, hidden away for so long. Finally, as the strain became almost unbearable, he began to scream.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The strain was taking its toll already, as his body succumbed to the pain brought on by the extreme stress. His body shook; his muscles contracted and expanded at random rates. The aura that surrounded him was a raging flame, burning through the dark sky, illuminating the battle field and giving off blinding sparks of electricity that left the world in brief periods of light.

Sedu looked over his shoulder at the city behind him. A soldier was heading out to retrieve the body of Vegeta.

"Stop! Come here," he whispered to him, barely audible over the screams of Goku. The soldier complied, a little frightened of his leader's new power, which seemed incredibly unstable.

"Bear witness to this warrior here. He is damaging his body, and shortening his life span in an attempt to destroy me and save this world. He does not know that his power will destroy the world he is trying to save."

The warrior looked at his master. What did the master know about this?

"Do you think he can beat you?" he asked carefully. Sedu pondered the question for a moment before responding.

"His power is great, one of the strongest I have ever encountered. But he is still no match for me. The Dragon returned me to my greatest possible strength, and I will be sure not to loose it this time." He turned his attention away from the soldier and back on Goku, whose hair had grown several feet. Veins had risen up from his flesh, and his eyebrows were much narrower. Suddenly, the growth in ki halted, and Goku stopped screaming. He lowered his head, to reveal his eyebrows had vanished, and his hair flared out in long golden locks. He grinned, and as he regained his calm, his ki had a sudden increase. Sedu was taken aback. _Just by calming himself, he managed to double his ki!_ Thought Sedu, _I may have to use even more of my power._

Goku stood waiting for Sedu's attack. He had calmed himself enough to reduce the strain of Super Saiyan 3, which left him with more ki to use to attack. He was proud of this achievement, because it had been extremely hard work.

"It seems you have undergone quite a transformation," praised the beastly foe. "But no matter how much stronger you have gotten, you can not kill me!"

"You are blinded by your belief that your power is almighty," retorted Goku. "You cannot sense the strength I now possess."

"Brave words from a weak foe. I shall enjoy shattering your spine, and tearing your lungs from your chest!"

"Try it!"

Goku raised his ki, bringing strength to his muscles. He lunged at Sedu and restarted the battle. His new power was put to the test as he threw a flurry of punches at Sedu's skull, forcing him to move back. Goku continued to bear down on him, and forced his opponent below him, an advantage for Goku. He expanded his ki, generating a powerful wave that applied more pressure on Sedu, so much that he was being pushed into the ground. Goku focused all of his power into his right hand and belted Sedu across the face, sending him sprawling along the ground. The saiyan followed up with a powerful Kamehameha wave to the head, which did much more than wash over Sedu's head. It drove him down into the ground, splitting and cracking the Earth and creating huge chasms and fissures. Sedu screamed as he was forced deep into the Earth. But seconds later he burst from the rock and hit Goku with lefts and rights, strong punches that rattled Goku's bones. Sedu's hits were slightly stronger than Goku's, but he couldn't throw them as fast. Gradually, the punches became sloppier, while Goku's blows remained sharp and hard. After was seemed like hours of brutal beatings, Sedu remained composed, while Goku was fighting wilder, caught up in the fury of battle.

"You... won't win!" panted Goku.

"I don't think I have ever fought anyone as powerful as you. You should be pleased," chuckled Sedu. Goku regained his posture and charged again. Sedu grinned as the saiyan warrior came ever closer.

Almost halfway around the world Goten and Trunks sat on the grass in front of Goku's house.

"Do you think my brother has gotten there yet?" asked Goten nervously.

"Well, we would have felt a change in the battle," replied Trunks. Just as the words left his mouth, they felt another power grow to incredible heights.

"Is that Gohan?" asked Trunks.

"It can't be," stated Goten. "I heard him tell Dad that he can't raise his power anymore, so it can't be him."

"Maybe it's your Dad! Or my Dad!"

"I hope they're alright."

"I'm sure they are. Our Dads are the strongest in the universe."

"Stupid Gohan. He should be there by now."

"If we fused, then we would get there super quick!"

Goten got excited.

"Yeah! Then we could be the heroes!"

They jumped up and became Super Saiyans. Just as Goten was about to fly off, Trunks stopped him.

"Idiot, if we fly un-fused we won't get there before your brother beats this guy!"

"Oh. Let's fuse now then!"

"Alright"

They walked away from each other, then bent their legs as if squatting. They extended both arms together, both pointing away from their partner.

"Fu..." They both droned, sidling towards each other while rotating their arms.

"Sion..." They stood on one leg and stuck their arms out again.

"Ha!" They leaned into each other. A flash of light engulfed them for a moment, and when it dimmed, a single person remained.

Gotenks looked around and down at himself. He had gotten a lot taller since last time. He looked into the sky and blasted off, leaving a golden streak in his wake.

Meanwhile, Gohan flew through the clouds. He was very close to the fight, and he could see the golden glow of the two combatants Super Saiyan auras.

As he traversed the sky, he looked down and caught a glimpse of Central City. There were saiyans ransacking it, ploughing down buildings. Gohan stopped in midair and descended.

When he landed, he heard a shrill scream. He looked around and saw Videl being beaten by two saiyans. Gohan ploughed through them easily.

"Gohan!" murmured Videl.

"It's alright. I'll finish this."

He leapt up and punched a saiyan, who was knocked into the sky. Gohan watched his distant fall. All around him, he could sense more soldiers lurking just beyond his vision.

If they think they can hide from me in the night, thought Gohan, they're dead wrong.

He raised his arm and fired a blast of ki in a random direction. He saw a flash of light, as well as three saiyans disintegrating. He whipped around and fired again, taking out two this time. He did this three more times until it bored him.

"Let's see how many I can knock out in a minute," he challenged himself.

Gohan sensed one just to his right, and he dashed towards it as fast as he could. He punched him and from there shot towards another one. Moving as quickly as he could, he began to obliterate them in a spiral pattern.

Gohan managed to kill six-hundred-twenty-four by his count. He stopped for a moment and tracked Sedu's ki. It was large, but not as large as his fathers. Goku was stronger! Gohan let his fears wash away. Since his father was stronger, he could finish killing the warriors.

Gohan bathed himself in warm relief for a moment, and then set back to work. There were many saiyans on the Earth, and he had to obliterate each one of them.

At the fight, Goku was able to pull enough ki into his body that he was able to maintain a steady fight with Sedu. He was slowly gaining the upper hand, he could sense it.

"You seem to be getting tired!" taunted Goku. "Maybe you should give up!"

"Do you think that I would give up this easily? I am the Legendary Super Saiyan!"

"We've fought many who thought they were the Legendary Super Saiyan, and we defeated them all!"

"Deny it all you'd like. It won't affect this battle. You alone cannot destroy me!"

"But together we can!" shouted a hoarse voice.

Sedu and Goku looked and saw Vegeta forcing himself out of the ruined building in which he was entombed.

"Vegeta!" Goku was exhilarated. With Vegeta's support, they may be able to defeat Sedu. Goku flew away from Sedu to stand by Vegeta.

"So, you aren't dead yet? I shouldn't have fought you so lightly," sneered Sedu.

"You won't destroy me that easily," replied Vegeta. He stared at Sedu, rage building behind he black, ruthless eyes. He swished something his mouth a bit, then spat a mouthful of blood on the ground.

"Kakarotto, there is only one way we can defeat this monster!"

"Are you talking about fusion?"

Vegeta looked at Sedu, who was patiently waiting for them to finish their conversation. He then looked at Goku.

"Yes. Even with your Super Saiyan Three power, you are no match for him. I know that he wasn't even using half of his power."

"What?!" Goku trembled with realization. That was why Sedu was so calm during the fight; he wasn't using all of his power. That much strength could sacrifice his control.

"And my full power will be a drop in the bucket compared to yours. There is no other choice."

"Alright. Do you know the fusion dance?"

"I learned it from Trunks. I saw him practicing alone, in case he needed to use it once more. I have figured out the rest, I hope."

"Alright then." Goku let out all of his energy calmly and he lowered himself to Super Saiyan Two. He reduced his power to match Vegeta's.

"Alright, here goes nothing!"

Vegeta nodded, a solemn look engraved into his face as he watched Sedu smile, knowing he had heard every word.


	5. The power of Kakarotto

At the battle, Vegeta was dumbstruck by Sedu's power. Last time he had encountered this sort of transformation, he had lost his wits completely. He prepared himself to not do the same.

"Now, are you prepared to fight and die by my hands?" asked Sedu.

Goku walked towards Sedu, who was a whole three feet taller than him.

"Once I have defeated you I will be sure to take pleasure in murdering every living thing on this world. I will do it very slowly, to savour their pain," bragged the giant. He threw back his head and laughed a sharp, booming sound that echoed into the sky.

Goku was overtaken with rage. He dashed at Sedu, initiating a barrage of blows from both sides. Lightning arced across the sky as the intensity of the battle grew to destructive levels. Vegeta stood watching, until he too gathered his ki and courage, and entered the battle. Vegeta and Goku attacked Sedu simultaneously, until Sedu focused his energy into his massive fist. He swung his fist, which connected with the back of Vegeta's skull, knocking him to the ground. Sedu stomped once on his back, and then kicked him across the lawn and into the city.

There was a great swell of power and a huge explosion of ki and Vegeta pulled himself to maximum strength. The sun was blocked out by the rising dust and debris, and the only illumination came from the golden light of Vegeta's strength.

He stepped forward, landing a booming blow in Sedu's stomach and kicked his legs, an attempt to break his stance and reduce the power of his kicks. Goku attacked the head and screamed advice to Vegeta.

"Vegeta! Don't attack his legs; he's only attacking with his arms!" Vegeta acknowledged this information and began pummelling Sedu's head with ki. Rapid bursts flew from his palms and exploded against Sedu's head.

"Kakarotto! Stay away from him, attack only with blasts. Don't go inside and try to beat him down! Too dangerous!" called Vegeta to Goku. Goku flew back a few metres and charged a Kamehameha Wave. The blue energy pulsed in his cupped palms. As he screamed the final syllable he threw his arms forward, forcing the energy onto Sedu's head. As the energy washed over his head, he was struck in his stomach by a bolt of ki shot by Vegeta. The Prince has stunned when neither the Kamehameha nor the blast to the stomach had any effect other than cracking his chest plate.

Sedu side-stepped, his hard elbow crashing into Goku's face. The hero collapsed, struggling to remain conscious. Sedu then charged two green balls of energy in his hands, and then flattened them into spinning disks. He pulled his arms back and flung them forward, slicing two thin tracks into the ground. Vegeta leapt to dodge them, but even that simple movement left him slightly off balance. Sedu hit him with blast to the stomach, which doubled him over and onto his knees. Vegeta felt the wide palm press onto the back of his head, and could sense the growing concentration of energy just waiting to erupt. Sedu stomped Vegeta's back then fired. The attack slammed Vegeta's face into the earth and pushed him along the ground, stopping many metres away, leaving the injured Goku alone to fight this monster.

"I guess I'll have to use my full strength on you," panted Goku.

"What?" A look of satisfaction formed over Sedu's scowl.

Goku grinned, pleased that he had another chance to use his ultimate form in a battle.

"I have managed to find another stage of Super Saiyan, one that is exponentially stronger than the last. It is only attained through training too strenuous for the body to handle," declared Goku. Sedu grinned at this news, which didn't shock him so much. This warrior gave the impression of being much cleverer than he seemed.

Goku stood calmly, organizing the many particles of ki into the correct alignment, which was needed to ascend. He focused his power, and began to raise his ki as high as it could go. It came slowly at first, but Sedu could sense more on the horizon.

Goku planted his feet far apart, and was overtaken by the rush of ki he was pulling from within himself, hidden away for so long. Finally, as the strain became almost unbearable, he began to scream.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The strain was taking its toll already, as his body succumbed to the pain brought on by the extreme stress. His body shook; his muscles contracted and expanded at random rates. The aura that surrounded him was a raging flame, burning through the dark sky, illuminating the battle field and giving off blinding sparks of electricity that left the world in brief periods of light.

Sedu looked over his shoulder at the city behind him. A soldier was heading out to retrieve the body of Vegeta.

"Stop! Come here," he whispered to him, barely audible over the screams of Goku. The soldier complied, a little frightened of his leader's new power, which seemed incredibly unstable.

"Bear witness to this warrior here. He is damaging his body, and shortening his life span in an attempt to destroy me and save this world. He does not know that his power will destroy the world he is trying to save."

The warrior looked at his master. What did the master know about this?

"Do you think he can beat you?" he asked carefully. Sedu pondered the question for a moment before responding.

"His power is great, one of the strongest I have ever encountered. But he is still no match for me. The Dragon returned me to my greatest possible strength, and I will be sure not to loose it this time." He turned his attention away from the soldier and back on Goku, whose hair had grown several feet. Veins had risen up from his flesh, and his eyebrows were much narrower. Suddenly, the growth in ki halted, and Goku stopped screaming. He lowered his head, to reveal his eyebrows had vanished, and his hair flared out in long golden locks. He grinned, and as he regained his calm, his ki had a sudden increase. Sedu was taken aback. _Just by calming himself, he managed to double his ki!_ Thought Sedu, _I may have to use even more of my power._

Goku stood waiting for Sedu's attack. He had calmed himself enough to reduce the strain of Super Saiyan 3, which left him with more ki to use to attack. He was proud of this achievement, because it had been extremely hard work.

"It seems you have undergone quite a transformation," praised the beastly foe. "But no matter how much stronger you have gotten, you can not kill me!"

"You are blinded by your belief that your power is almighty," retorted Goku. "You cannot sense the strength I now possess."

"Brave words from a weak foe. I shall enjoy shattering your spine, and tearing your lungs from your chest!"

"Try it!"

Goku raised his ki, bringing strength to his muscles. He lunged at Sedu and restarted the battle. His new power was put to the test as he threw a flurry of punches at Sedu's skull, forcing him to move back. Goku continued to bear down on him, and forced his opponent below him, an advantage for Goku. He expanded his ki, generating a powerful wave that applied more pressure on Sedu, so much that he was being pushed into the ground. Goku focused all of his power into his right hand and belted Sedu across the face, sending him sprawling along the ground. The saiyan followed up with a powerful Kamehameha wave to the head, which did much more than wash over Sedu's head. It drove him down into the ground, splitting and cracking the Earth and creating huge chasms and fissures. Sedu screamed as he was forced deep into the Earth. But seconds later he burst from the rock and hit Goku with lefts and rights, strong punches that rattled Goku's bones. Sedu's hits were slightly stronger than Goku's, but he couldn't throw them as fast. Gradually, the punches became sloppier, while Goku's blows remained sharp and hard. After was seemed like hours of brutal beatings, Sedu remained composed, while Goku was fighting wilder, caught up in the fury of battle.

"You... won't win!" panted Goku.

"I don't think I have ever fought anyone as powerful as you. You should be pleased," chuckled Sedu. Goku regained his posture and charged again. Sedu grinned as the saiyan warrior came ever closer.

Almost halfway around the world Goten and Trunks sat on the grass in front of Goku's house.

"Do you think my brother has gotten there yet?" asked Goten nervously.

"Well, we would have felt a change in the battle," replied Trunks. Just as the words left his mouth, they felt another power grow to incredible heights.

"Is that Gohan?" asked Trunks.

"It can't be," stated Goten. "I heard him tell Dad that he can't raise his power anymore, so it can't be him."

"Maybe it's your Dad! Or my Dad!"

"I hope they're alright."

"I'm sure they are. Our Dads are the strongest in the universe."

"Stupid Gohan. He should be there by now."

"If we fused, then we would get there super quick!"

Goten got excited.

"Yeah! Then we could be the heroes!"

They jumped up and became Super Saiyans. Just as Goten was about to fly off, Trunks stopped him.

"Idiot, if we fly un-fused we won't get there before your brother beats this guy!"

"Oh. Let's fuse now then!"

"Alright"

They walked away from each other, then bent their legs as if squatting. They extended both arms together, both pointing away from their partner.

"Fu..." They both droned, sidling towards each other while rotating their arms.

"Sion..." They stood on one leg and stuck their arms out again.

"Ha!" They leaned into each other. A flash of light engulfed them for a moment, and when it dimmed, a single person remained.

Gotenks looked around and down at himself. He had gotten a lot taller since last time. He looked into the sky and blasted off, leaving a golden streak in his wake.

Meanwhile, Gohan flew through the clouds. He was very close to the fight, and he could see the golden glow of the two combatants Super Saiyan auras.

As he traversed the sky, he looked down and caught a glimpse of Central City. There were saiyans ransacking it, ploughing down buildings. Gohan stopped in midair and descended.

When he landed, he heard a shrill scream. He looked around and saw Videl being beaten by two saiyans. Gohan ploughed through them easily.

"Gohan!" murmured Videl.

"It's alright. I'll finish this."

He leapt up and punched a saiyan, who was knocked into the sky. Gohan watched his distant fall. All around him, he could sense more soldiers lurking just beyond his vision.

If they think they can hide from me in the night, thought Gohan, they're dead wrong.

He raised his arm and fired a blast of ki in a random direction. He saw a flash of light, as well as three saiyans disintegrating. He whipped around and fired again, taking out two this time. He did this three more times until it bored him.

"Let's see how many I can knock out in a minute," he challenged himself.

Gohan sensed one just to his right, and he dashed towards it as fast as he could. He punched him and from there shot towards another one. Moving as quickly as he could, he began to obliterate them in a spiral pattern.

Gohan managed to kill six-hundred-twenty-four by his count. He stopped for a moment and tracked Sedu's ki. It was large, but not as large as his fathers. Goku was stronger! Gohan let his fears wash away. Since his father was stronger, he could finish killing the warriors.

Gohan bathed himself in warm relief for a moment, and then set back to work. There were many saiyans on the Earth, and he had to obliterate each one of them.

At the fight, Goku was able to pull enough ki into his body that he was able to maintain a steady fight with Sedu. He was slowly gaining the upper hand, he could sense it.

"You seem to be getting tired!" taunted Goku. "Maybe you should give up!"

"Do you think that I would give up this easily? I am the Legendary Super Saiyan!"

"We've fought many who thought they were the Legendary Super Saiyan, and we defeated them all!"

"Deny it all you'd like. It won't affect this battle. You alone cannot destroy me!"

"But together we can!" shouted a hoarse voice.

Sedu and Goku looked and saw Vegeta forcing himself out of the ruined building in which he was entombed.

"Vegeta!" Goku was exhilarated. With Vegeta's support, they may be able to defeat Sedu. Goku flew away from Sedu to stand by Vegeta.

"So, you aren't dead yet? I shouldn't have fought you so lightly," sneered Sedu.

"You won't destroy me that easily," replied Vegeta. He stared at Sedu, rage building behind he black, ruthless eyes. He swished something his mouth a bit, then spat a mouthful of blood on the ground.

"Kakarotto, there is only one way we can defeat this monster!"

"Are you talking about fusion?"

Vegeta looked at Sedu, who was patiently waiting for them to finish their conversation. He then looked at Goku.

"Yes. Even with your Super Saiyan Three power, you are no match for him. I know that he wasn't even using half of his power."

"What?!" Goku trembled with realization. That was why Sedu was so calm during the fight; he wasn't using all of his power. That much strength could sacrifice his control.

"And my full power will be a drop in the bucket compared to yours. There is no other choice."

"Alright. Do you know the fusion dance?"

"I learned it from Trunks. I saw him practicing alone, in case he needed to use it once more. I have figured out the rest, I hope."

"Alright then." Goku let out all of his energy calmly and he lowered himself to Super Saiyan Two. He reduced his power to match Vegeta's.

"Alright, here goes nothing!"

Vegeta nodded, a solemn look engraved into his face as he watched Sedu smile, knowing he had heard every word.


	6. The Fusion

Gohan had finished clearing all the saiyans from Central City, as well as the surrounding area. He intended to take Videl to the hospital, when he felt a ki lower in strength drastically, two different ones disappear completely and a brand new one form, just as powerful as Goku.

Gohan took a moment to process all this and organize it into tangible thoughts.

_Dads been hurt,_ was the first assumption that buzzed into his mind, _but the powers were still too great for that. Dad lowered his power for some strange reason._ That was more explainable, though he couldn't find a reason. He shifted his focus on the other ki. _Two had vanished, one had formed. They fused! I told them not to fight, but they did anyways! _Gohan focused more on the ki. _Wait, they are just as strong as Dad, if not stronger. They may be able to win!_

Gohan remained where he was, and thought of the fate of the Earth.

Goku and Vegeta assumed the correct positions to fuse while Sedu watched in amusement. Just as they started the dance, he sensed two powers becoming one, way off in the distance. That power was as strong as Goku. Sedu thought frantically._  
_  
_That must have been a fusion! Two ki's vanished and one appeared. I could barely sense them before, and now they have this power! _He gazed on at Goku and Vegeta, who were halfway through the dance. _I can't allow this! They will be stronger than me!_

Sedu pulled back his arm and hurled a ball of ki at Vegeta. It caught him below his ribs, and he was pushed away, knocked into the sky. His fingers had been inches from Goku's.

"No!" screamed Goku. He attempted to gather his ki to become Super Saiyan Three once more, but Sedu charged towards him and punched him in the face. His knuckles cracked against his nose and as he applied pressure, he felt it crack and break. Seconds later Goku was forced to the ground, his power dropping away. Sedu raised his arm and flattened his palm. A white sphere formed, pulsating slightly and crackling with ki.

"You have caused be too much trouble," he said as the glow from his blast illuminated Goku's face, turning every bead of sweat into a prism of fear, shedding rays of red, yellow and blue. "You will die knowing you forced me to use more power than I have ever needed before."

Just as he was about to fire, a barrage of ki crashed against Sedu's solid frame, tearing at his right shoulder, arm and the right side of his face. His attack vanished and a swarm of dust blanketed him thickly. His silhouette was barely visible to the eyes of Goku, who quickly backed away. He teleported to safety, a dozen metres away.

Gotenks dropped down to stand facing his opponent. His golden hair stuck up in shards, a glimpse into the depths of his power. The dust cleared and Sedu got his first look at his opponent. His right sleeve was torn severely, revealing the pale skin and shallow wounds beneath. His face had a deep scratch running across his forehead, fading downwards into his eyebrow. A bead of blood dripped down from his cut into his left eyebrow, around the eye itself and down his cheek. He grinned at the tiny warrior before him.

"Who are you?" he asked politely, though maliciousness seeped into every syllable.

"I am Gotenks, the most powerful warrior in this universe!" exclaimed the preteen fighter. "Maybe in the next one too, who knows?" He paused to ponder if his power really was strongest in the next universe.

"Well, I'll assume you are the warrior I sensed. I must admit I didn't expect you to look like this."

"I have another surprise. You see, I can sense your true power, and I know that right now won't be able to defeat you. So I'll have to bump it up a notch. Or two." Gotenks snickered slightly.

"What do you mean?" asked Sedu.

"Let me show you." He clenched his fists and unearthed the power within him. His hair waved violently and burst suddenly into a long golden mane. His brow furrowed forward, and bulged out, shrinking his eyebrows into nothing. He finished the transformation quickly, and took an impressive pose.

"So, you can do this too?"

"Yep!" Gotenks performed a quick succession of punches and kicks to show his new power.

"Well, I guess I'll have to power up too."

Sedu closed his eyes and concentrated. His power began to rise and his muscles bulged even further. His power increased exponentially in mere seconds.

"This is seventy-five percent of my power. Let's see how to stand up to this!"

"Oh, we will see."

Gotenks leapt into action, punching and kicking Sedu from many angles. Sedu was knocked around slightly, but never stumbled. He responded with his own attacks, and managed to punch Gotenks away. Gotenks pulled his arms to one side, and a blue light filled his cupped hands. He thrust it forward and launched the Kamehameha Wave. Sedu filled each hand with green ki and pushed forward as well, blocking the attack. He flattened his palms and focused more energy into them. The Kamehameha began to move back, and seconds later, it exploded under the pressure. Sedu looked around for Gotenks.

"Come out, you can't hide!" screamed the saiyan.

"I'm right here!" shouted a voice behind him. Sedu turned around and saw Gotenks, his cheeks expanded and round. Sedu could sense huge energy.

In the Central City, Gohan felt Gotenks' ki rise greatly. Knowing his brother had reached Super Saiyan Three, Gohan began to panic.

He has less than five minutes! I have to help him quickly. But first, I have to destroy the saiyans, which much have spread around the planet by now.

He closed his eyes and began to find each saiyan's ki. He locked on to every one of them and opened his eyes.

Gohan opened his hand and created a ball of ki. He raised his arm and shot it into the sky, where it expanded into a ball the size of the city. Remembering their ki's, Gohan exploded the ball with his own ki, sending each fragment towards its own saiyan.

"What move have you planned now?" demanded Sedu.

Gotenks didn't reply, but his opened his mouth just a bit, and a white ghost emerged, sporting a wild mane of hair. It zoomed towards Sedu. Sedu grabbed it by the throat, and it exploded. The flash of ki didn't hurt him too much, but Sedu knew that a swarm of them could do major damage. His glove was in tatters.

Sedu looked up at Gotenks, who had opened his mouth, sending hundreds of the ghosts towards him, each one identical to the next. Sedu extended his arms in front of him, and when the barrage hit he punched each one incredibly fast, so fast it was smashed away before it exploded. Sedu's hands moved extremely quickly, and he managed to deflect each one without receiving any damage.

"Well, what a pathetic attack," he commented dryly. Gotenks was stunned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a big blue glow, coming from the east. Sedu saw it too, and watched as it split off and scattered in all directions. Some pieces came towards him, and he braced for impact but none hit him. He looked around and saw holes burned through every one of his men.

"Someone did this on purpose. They destroyed my army," he was boiling with anger. He shuddered, and then began to laugh, a gleam of insanity in his eyes."I don't need them! I have enough power to rule on my own! I am invincible!" He looked at Gotenks. A ball of ki formed in his hand, the immense power disintegrating his ruined glove.

"Die!" he screamed, a vein going in his temple. He threw the ball, and just as it was about to make contact Gotenks split into two people. Goten and Trunks fell from the sky and landed with dull thuds.

"Oh, I see how this works. You were on a time limit, eh? Now you are so weak I could crush you with my thumb!"

He sped towards Trunks, who was sitting on the earth. He raised his foot and stomped the ground. But Trunks vanished, and his foot sunk deep into the ground. He turned his attention to Goten, and threw a ki blast at him. Gohan materialized in front of him and deflected the attack with a flick of his wrist. Under his left arm, he held Trunks. He picked up Goten with his right, and released some of his ki into them. He let them go and they floated, suspended by Gohan's power. Driven by his mere thoughts, the boys were carried away to the other end of the city.

"You leave them alone," he said. "This is our fight now."

He looked around and saw Goku lying barely conscious near him. Further, back he saw Vegeta, still and crumpled into a heap.

"They told be that if they lost I would be the one to fight you. Now you will meet your end!"

"So you fancy yourself a warrior? I know your power."

"Do you? If you are so sure, come at me!"  
Sedu tilted his head and eyed his opponent.

"With pleasure."


	7. The Mystic

Gohan watched Sedu and considered him for a moment. He took proper stance and beckoned for Sedu to attack. Sedu charged forward with heavy footfalls that generated arc of lightning. He steered himself and stuck out his right arm. He carried it level with Gohan's neck, and ran with the intent of smashing his throat with it. He ran past Gohan, who ducked swiftly to avoid the deadly blow, which passed right over his head. As Gohan fell back, he kicked up his right foot and swung himself upwards, kicking Sedu in the lower back. Sedu stuttered but recovered and turned around, swinging his left arm. Inside its palm was a large ball of glowing ki, a vivid green in colour. Gohan carried himself along the arc of his kick and righted himself, his back facing Sedu, who threw the ki he was holding. Gohan sensed it and spun on his left foot, launching a full kick with his right. The ball soared to his left and landed in the city, destroying much of it.

"Heh, you are not without strength," complimented Sedu. "And your skill is grand. But you must know I am still holding back a quarter of my strength." Gohan had already figured this, and wasn't surprised in the least.

"However," he continued." At my current level I can outmatch you easily."  
Gohan walked towards him until they were inches from each other. Gohan looked up into Sedu's soulless eyes, locking his gaze with his own black ones.

"I'm gonna bust you up," growled Sedu. Gohan continued to stare.

"Go for it," he replied. He leapt up and delivered a brutal kick to the chest with his left foot. Using this as a foothold, he pulled himself upwards and kicked back Sedu's head with his right. He then stomped hard on his throat. Sedu was stunned by these sudden blows, and before he could recover, Gohan brought forth a mighty kick with his left once more, connecting with Sedu's right cheek and pushing his head towards his left.

The force pushed on Sedu's head, twisting him counter clockwise despite all efforts of resistance. His upper body turned and his arms reached forwards in a blind attempt to grasp any sort of support. After a few seconds Sedu's defences failed and pivoting on his left foot he swung swiftly. His arms lagged a bit and while his back was facing Gohan his palms were loose, and a purple spark was giving off a soft violet glow. Sedu smiled and used his momentum to swing around to face Gohan. As their eyes met once more, he thrust his arms forward. The confidences on Gohan's face cracked and chipped, revealing the fear underneath.

"Garlic Gun!" screamed Sedu. An ocean of ki rushed forth, striking Gohan hard. Gohan resisted, but his attempts were futile against the immense force pushed upon him. He was thrown back, carried by the flowing purple mass for what seemed like an eternity, until he managed to force his way off the beam and plummeted to the Earth. He crashed hard, and was dizzied, but his wits told him to carry on. He stood up and faced Sedu, who was rushing towards him like a freight train, an unstoppable force. Gohan ran to him, jumped up and kneed him hard in the face.

Sedu stumbled back, then came forward and swung hard with his right. Gohan ducked easily under it. Sedu threw a left hook, then a right, then another left. Gohan dodged all of them by leaning away._  
_  
_I'm faster than him!_ Thought Gohan. _And I might be stronger too. His Garlic Gun wasn't as powerful as I thought._  
Sweat streamed down Sedu's face as he continued his assault. Every one of his punches was easily dodged, and this failure was frustrating him heavily.

"I must win!" screamed Sedu. He threw another right hook, and hit Gohan in the head, knocking him senseless. Sedu grabbed him by the hair and tossed him into the sky. He took aim and fired a slew of ki blasts, each one thin and all following a strict path.

As they sped towards Gohan, he punched each one quickly, rotating and alternating his hands and sending them back to the Earth, where they crashed and opened cracks in the planet's crust.

"I guess if I am to win, I will be forced to use my full power, even if it may destroy me as well. But I don't care anymore, as long as I beat you!"" Sedu closed his eyes, and dug deep into his being to release all spare power he had. As his power grew, memories flashed across his mind, traumatic memories from almost one hundred years ago. A scowl crossed his face as old wounds reopened; barriers he had built in his own mind were destroyed. In a flash of burning light his full strength was brought forth, and using his uncovered pain as a vessel to break Gohan was all he could imagine.

"You!" he snarled. "Are... doomed!" He threw back his head and laughed, sending chills down Gohan's spine.

"Damn!" swore Gohan. "What is this monster?"

Sedu had grown over a foot, making him a towering nine feet tall. His muscles bulged hideously, as did his eyes. Blood vessels filled and rose across his face, and a look of insanity was set upon it. His nostrils flared.

"I smell fear in you!" grinned the beast.

"I'm not afraid of you!" scream Gohan. He pulled his arms to his right side and cupped them."Ka! Me!"

"What is this?" asked the monster.

"Ha!" Rays of blue light poured from Gohan's hands as a spark crackled into life."Me!" The spark grew into a bright blue orb. Gohan mustered up more ki and focused it into his attack.

"Ha!" His eyes flashed green as he thrust his hands forward, launching the Kamehameha. It was a magnificent sight. A wide flame of ki that fanned out across a great distance, and an enormous blue ball that was the head of a seemingly endless rush of power.

Sedu put his hands forward, mirroring the shape of Gohan's hands and braced for impact. When the Kamehameha hit him, it forced him into the ground. He straightened his legs and fortified himself. Using bits of his own ki to control it, Sedu gripped with his fingers and twisted the Kamehameha sideways. A ripple echoed across the beam and forced Gohan's hands to shift as well. Laughing wickedly, he pulled his hands apart, and tore the Kamehameha in half.

"What!?" cried Gohan. Sedu held one half of the Kamehameha in each hand, and he threw both in opposite directions with all his might. The beam peeled, and as the energy balls arced smoothly the beam followed, pulled Gohan's hands apart and leaving him defenceless. Sedu ran forward and aimed a punch at Gohan's head. It was blocked, however, by Gohan's leg. He had thrust it up to block the attack.

"You won't beat me that easily," spat Gohan.

"Urgh! Gwah!" Sedu launched more hooks, beating on Gohan's head without mercy. Blood sprayed with each blow, from both Gohan's nose and mouth. After several more hits, Sedu paused. He saw something peculiar: Gohan was smiling.  
"Why are you smiling?" he grunted. "You should be screaming!" Gohan stared at him, and then brought his hands together. The fragmented Kamehameha slapped back together, trapping Sedu inside it. The energy burned him, and he was blasted through the end of it." I'm just as strong as you are!" he shouted at Sedu. "You have nothing to gain, you are finished!" He looked around. His Kamehameha has cleared away all of West City, except for a miraculously unharmed Capsule Corp. It was directly behind him, so it was clear of any damage so far.  
_Better withhold from ki attacks, _though Gohan furiously,_ that last one took a lot out of me. _

Sedu struggled to his feet, his armour completely destroyed. All that remained was the waist, part of the back plate and a shoulder. The under suit was nearly disintegrated, revealing many scars across his skin.  
_  
He is strong, but not stronger than me,_ thought Sedu. _I can still crush him!!_

Gohan crouched, and then began sprinting as fast as he could. It only took him a few seconds to reach Sedu. He delivered a few jabs, then a hard kick to the ribs. Sedu stumbled at the impact, and he breathing was broken as Gohan landed more hits to the ribs, injuring his lungs. Sedu swung hard, but Gohan ducked and hit him more. Sedu's frustration grew as he was helpless against these attacks.

He screamed loud, releasing a shockwave of ki that pummelled Gohan into paralysis. Sedu threw three ki balls, hitting Gohan and exploding._  
_  
_The only way he has hope to defeat me is by keeping a distance between us,_ realized Gohan. _In close-combat I completely outclass him. He's too slow!_

Gohan rushed forward once more, and began beating Sedu's head. Dozens of kicks and punches collided with Sedu's skull, pushing him into even stronger mental anguish.

A fair distance away, Goku heard the screams of Sedu, and snapped out of his daze. Every joint in his body ached, and every bone begged for rest. He crawled to his feet and began the long walk to the fight. He knew Gohan was there, and he wanted to see Sedu die.

Gohan continued his brutal assault on Sedu, who was roaring like a beast. Sedu released another shockwave but Gohan blocked it and attacked more, with stronger hits. Sedu's mind was teaming with rage, and he was swinging wildly, each punch emitting an awful shriek. By a stroke of luck, the tiring Sedu manage to hit Gohan, who fell hard. Taking full advantage of this opportunity, Sedu stomped on Gohan's ribs. He heard a sharp crack, and he stomped on Gohan's head. Blood was pouring profusely from his nose, mouth and right eye, but Sedu didn't relent. He kicked in Gohan's face, who screamed in agony. Gohan managed to get on all fours, but Sedu kicked his stomach in, rupturing several blood vessels, and he dropped again.

"You may not stand!" shouted Sedu as he kicked Gohan onto his back.

Gohan closed his eyes and forced himself to his feet. He put all of his power into his fists and using a powerful uppercut, punched Sedu into the sky. Gohan followed and punched him in the stomach. A shockwave cause by the impact cracked the ground. Sedu's retaliation was a fierce kick, which connected with the side of Gohan's ribs. Gohan winced and almost doubled over, but he pulled through and sent a sharp jab straight into the fearsome saiyan's face. His nose cracked and a trickle of warm blood flowed out from under the saviours knuckles. He pulled back his fist and punched many more, in rapid succession. Sedu was overwhelmed by this, and was backing away, trying to avoid the strikes.

Focusing his power into his right arm, he waved it quickly, and a wave of purple ki caught Gohan in the stomach, flipping him over and leaving him staring at the ground far below. Glaring through his bloodied eyes, Sedu brought down his fist on the man's back, folding him in two. Gohan's legs kicked the back of his own head, and his spine snapped into two pieces. Sedu grabbed him and he was flung helplessly from the air into a deep chasm formed from the great battle. He crashed against its walls, bouncing off the rough stone with sickening cracks. He landed face down in the shallow creek that was flowing silently and quickly through the bottom of the narrow fissure. The water soaked into his torn uniform and it flattened his hair to his head. His blood washed away from his wounds, which clotted easily due to his perfection. As he felt his wounds close and the water cleanse him, he thought of himself, wondering why he was losing.  
_  
Elder Kai had granted me power of the body, mind and soul, to be used against all evil who threatened the existence of innocence, _he thought aimlessly. _This is what the power must be used for; this is how I earn it._

These words gave Gohan spirit, as he realized his true meaning. Gohan focused as hard as he could gathering his shattered ki. He stood up, struggling a bit to maintain footing but he managed to stay up. Empowered by his newly awakened fighting spirit, he screamed as loud as he could, a challenge to the saiyan once known as Sedu, whose name and identity died with his sanity.

"Sedu!" His lungs ached as he screamed. It was louder than he had ever screamed before, and the sonic power that emanated in waves shook the very walls which contained him. Sedu had just flown off in search of Goku and Vegeta, but was stopped by Gohan's booming voice. Amazed that Gohan had survived, he rushed back to investigate.

"Come on! Are you scared? Come back and fight me!" Gohan raised his power to signal and emphasize his whereabouts. His ki forced the walls of the chasm to crack and crumble, widening it into a canyon with room to fight. Sedu hovered hundreds of feet above him, and lowered himself into the deep pit. He faced Gohan, who was determined to win at any and all price.

"I have decided to use a technique," gasped Gohan, short of breath from his shouts. "That I was warned never to use without any other possible option. But you and I are equal in power. I can sense it. But your endurance requires me to do this, and it will end us both."

These words passed over Sedu as wisps of nothing. He no longer cared about mere words. They didn't aid him in combat. They were useless to him.


	8. The Demon's Cage

Gohan faced Sedu, a burning passion caged within him. It had all come down to this. His energy was drained from his beatings, but his will carried him. Sedu's power was limitless, his ki drawn from an infinite well inside him. Gohan stuck out his hands, his fingers flared. He moved them in a mesmerizing manner, with tongues of ki branching off and waving. His entire body swarmed with greenish-gold sparks of electricity. He concentrated as hard as he could on Sedu's ki, who remained still, taken aback by Gohan's apparent stupidity. He ran forward and hit Gohan with his right hook that sent him sprawling. Still, he kept his hands directed at Sedu. Sedu punched Gohan again, who winced but didn't drop his arms. Sedu kicked Gohan straight in the chest, and Gohan dropped his arms slightly as he struggled to remain conscious. Sedu grinned, and attacked Gohan again. This time, he didn't stop.

Goku was struggling over the barren land that had once been West City. Ahead he could sense Sedu's incredible ki, as well as Gohan's, which was slowly weakening. He weaved around the many craters in the ground, maintaining his focus on the fight ahead.

"Damn, this is hopeless!" he shouted in frustration. "I have to spare a little energy, just to get there quicker!" He raised his arm and placed two fingers on his forehead. Focusing on the battling ki's, he teleported to the battle. He arrived on an outcrop of stone, his appearance unnoticed by either combatant. Looking down into the canyon he saw Gohan surrounded by the strange aura, gesturing towards the terrifying Sedu. Goku noticed the same sort of aura shimmering around Sedu's massive frame, though the beast appeared not to notice. The monster was playfully beating Gohan, who was bruising and bleeding more and more with every strike. But Gohan was not relenting with his strange technique.

"How can you be surviving this?" screamed Sedu.

"I will not die!" stammered Gohan.""Until you are vanquished!"

"Don't lie!" shrieked Sedu as his kneed Gohan's ribs.

Ignoring the blood spouting from his mouth and nose, Gohan struggled to hold his concentration on every particle of Sedu's ki, clutching it with his own. He could feel Sedu's blows wear him down, erode away at his body and ki. Nothing could make him stop now. His mind had vanished, common sense destroyed. He truly was a beast, and his power could kill them both.

On his lookout, high above Earth, Dende looked down on the gruesome scene using his magnificent sight. He sighed as Gohan was pummelled ruthlessly, and Goku was too injured to help. He would have sent Piccolo to help, but he never returned from training with Gohan and Dende had no clue as to where he was. He stepped away from the ledge, and crossed the blissful grounds of his palace. He gazed fondly at the trees as he passed, the green of the leaves reminding him of his home world. He entered the main building and walked to its center. A spiral staircase twisted into the high rafters, and Dende climbed them. At the top, he found himself on the roof of the building, in a small chamber with glassless windows. In the center was a pedestal, and under a glass dome sat the remains of a tiny statue, which was broken into thousands of shards of stone. Using his telekinesis, Dende reassembled the statue, and it returned to its rightful form as the Dragon. Using his strange brand of magic, he enchanted the dragon, bringing it to life. It circled its little home, and as it did so it glowed, its power being restored to the Dragon balls. Dende watched it, and prayed for Gohan to win.

Gohan was a mess. His right eye was swollen shut, and his left was covered in blood that flowed from a cut on his forehead. His mouth ached, and his bottom jaw didn't align with his top. Every muscle in his body felt extremely heavy, and many of them were bruised and damaged. Sedu refused to cease his assault, and he remained charged full of energy. In his now limited consciousness, he never noticed the gold and green energy that surrounded Gohan and himself, and its growing ever brighter.

Goku looked down on the sad scene below him. He wanted to help, but he had almost no energy, nothing to power any attacks. He looked at Gohan, who was a bloodied heap that miraculously stood on two feet. His uniform was torn, with only fragments of the top remaining. The orange was deep and reddish, coloured by the absorption of the wearer's blood.

"I must stop him..." grumbled Goku through clenched teeth. "I have to help!" As he looked down at Gohan, memories flashed across his mind. Gohan as a little boy, kidnapped by Raditz, and showing his great potential. Gohan on Namek, witnessing him become a Super Saiyan. Training and playing on Earth, not knowing the extent of the terrors the Androids would impose. As these visions visited Goku, a great force swelled inside him. He couldn't contain it. He stood up and screamed, power bursting outwards in a vicious aura. Bits of gold flickered in it, and then it expanded even more and turned gold. Goku had become a Super Saiyan, and was at full power. The energy came from within him, and he had managed to transform.

Sedu turned and saw Goku standing on a piece of rock that jutted from the cliff. Much of the stone around him was destroyed by his energy.

"So, you are still alive. I knew I hadn't finished you." He bashed Gohan away, and then jumped into flight. He charged straight for Goku and pulled back his arm, preparing a punch. He threw it, but it stopped inches from Goku's face.

"What... what is this?" he shrieked. The golden energy enveloped him, disabling his movement. Every bit of his ki was under Gohan's control. Gohan's own energy drained as he manipulated Sedu, forming a cross shape with his body. Pulling Sedu towards him, Gohan announced his intentions.

"Sedu, if I had enough ki, believe me, I would tear you to shreds. However, since I lack a significant amount of energy, there is one option." Gohan brought Sedu to the ground. Their eyes locked in a gaze that seemed to last eternity.

"Now... The Mafuba!"

The name hit Goku like a punch to the gut. The Mafuba, a move devised by the Great Master Mutaito, a move so powerful it killed the user.

"Gohan! Don't do it!" shouted Goku, his eyes watering. His little boy was going to sacrifice his life to save the planet, something Goku once did so nobody else would have to.

"The move I used to contain you was called the Makifu, the Demon Energy Seal. Now you will be locked away and killed with ease."

Gohan moved his arms in a wide arc over his head. He did it twice more, and by the third time the ki around Sedu began to swirl, and it carried him in its current. His figure warped with the energy, and he was almost unrecognizable.

"Where are you going to seal him?!" asked Goku, who was filled with shame that his son was reduced to doing this instead of himself.

"The only place strong enough to contain him!" replied Gohan. He shifted his arms, moving them so they extended straight off the shoulders, away from each other. The green and gold energy followed, and the huge current of magic collided with Gohan, draining into his body and carrying Sedu with it. Gohan screamed in agony as Sedu's body and soul were sealed into himself. Veins rose up on his body as he shuddered, he could feel the evil lurking within him. Seconds passed, and the Mafuba's terrible price arrived. Gohan turned white, he stopped moving and he fell to his knees. From there he fell forward onto the rocky earth, and into the shallow stream.

Goku leapt down from his perch and landed by his son's side. He knelt beside him and lifted his head. As he held his son in a final embrace, he felt a small movement. Goku checked Gohan's pulse. It was there, but it felt slow and forced. Goku knew Gohan had a chance to survive, though he didn't know how that was possible. He rested him over his shoulder, and rose into the dark sky. Looking around the ruins of West City, Goku saw a faint orange glimmer, right in front of the still standing Capsule Corporation. Goku knew it was the Dragon Balls. He knew Dende must have repaired them. And he knew they could fix the damage caused by the terrible saiyan, and restore harmony.


End file.
